Blood Red Petals
by ChibionO
Summary: Sorry, story is on halt..... Please chek out my other fics..
1. Prologue

Blood Red Petals  
By: ChibionO  
  
Disclaimer: Do you think that Squaresoft would just give Final Fantasy to me for free?!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The early morning birds chirped among the treetops as the wind whistled through the late spring leaves. My dark hair blew around my face and I brought a hand up to my hair, running my fingers through it. A nearby river sparkled in the sunlight and a frog croaked. I strained my eyes and spotted a blue frog. A red stripe ran from its head to its back. The frog looked about nervously. The forests south of river near Cosmo Canyon was always heavily populated by these amphibians, but never had I seen one so vividly colored. I walked towards it and held my hand out. It jumped into my hand and fit comfortably in my palm. It was about the size of a baseball. It croaked worriedly and its eyes darted around. Closer examination revealed the deep green of its eyes. I opened my hip pouch and it jumped in. I walked away from the riverbank and towards a tall oak marked with a symbol of a cross. It was my 'secret hideout'. The tree was hollow, but too tall to see the hollow center. On one of its roots was a bush. I pushed it aside to reveal a hole. I crawled in and easily fit. It was about twice the size of me. A small light at the end of the tunnel gradually grew larger as I neared the exit. I pushed aside some vines and stepped out of the tunnel, shaking some moss from my hair. I opened my eyes and soothing light green vines that lined the walls of the oak calmed me. A loud chittering attracted my attention to my feet. A small raccoon pawed my legs and shrilled. I knelt down and patted its head.  
  
" Hey Kippy. How was your sleep? I brought back a friend, but no eating it, understand?" It nodded and sniffed at my hip pouch. I opened it and the frog jumped out. It took one frightened look at Kippy and frantically hopped away. Kippy cocked its head and chittered, confused. I scratched its chin and it whistled happily. Satisfied, it walked back to its nest. I walked over to my homemade bed (which was a mattress in a large hole next to Kippy's) , and took out my Naginata (Naginata: a Japanese polearm weapon) and began to polish the blade. The frog hopped over and croaked. Its eyes watched my every move. I put down my weapon and scooped up the frog.  
  
"Maybe you're my prince charming, come to rescue me from this boring life," I wondered aloud. The frog croaked and bobbed its head as if saying yes. I put it down and sprawled down onto a soft bed of moss with my legs in the air. I propped my head up with one hand and gently stroked the frog on its head. It closed its eyes in bliss and croaked softly. I leaned over and planted a kiss on its lips. A warm breeze blew around me and I closed my eyes. The lips of the frog slowly changed form to fit comfortably on mine. Strong arms embraced me and I gasped. I couldn't believe what was happening. I opened my eyes while my lips were still being caressed. What I saw almost took ten years off my life.  
  
A fine smooth face loomed in front of mine. A shock of red hair topped his head and was messily held up by a pair of sunglasses. His eyes were closed, but when they opened, it revealed bright green pupils that widened in surprise. Kippy ran over and chattered angrily, as if scolding a pair of naughty children. I pushed him away and he reluctantly let go of me. I gasped and Kippy climbed into my lap, running his paws over my body to check for wounds, clicking with worry. I ran over to a small pond in the middle of the hollow and ran the water over my lips. The man stared at me and I noticed that he was wearing a blue suit. Shin-Ra. The hated word automatically ran through my swimming thoughts.  
  
"Who are you? Why are you here? What have you done with my frog? You work for Shin-Ra, don't you?" I asked all at once.  
  
"Woah, woah, slow down," he said. " I'll answer your questions one by one. Yes, I do work for Shin-Ra, why I'm here is confidential. As for your frog, I am your frog, and my name? I am Reno of the Turks."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
~ Hey my faithful readers! How was this little prologue? Surprising, wasn't it? I wrote this story 2 years ago, but never had the chance to submit it. As for the 'luv triangle' thing, I'm not telling! XP hee..hee.. suspense is good.. I~ 


	2. Chapter 1: Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or any of its characters. damn..  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Reno of the Turks.. I was kissed by Reno of the Turks? The murderers of my father? The murderers of my mother? The murderers of my grandparents? Of my brother? My heart began pounding in my chest as my old memories raced through my mind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Grandpa! Where are you? Grandpa!"  
  
"..Tomoko."  
  
"Grandpa! What happened to you? Who did this?"  
  
"..The Turks..the Turks."  
  
"The Turks?"  
  
"Yes.. promise me you'll take care of.of Jintong.."  
  
"I can't Grandpa, he's.he's dead.and so is Mama and Papa."  
  
"..then take care of yourself..Tomoko."  
  
"Grandpa! Grandpa! No.."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I stared at my lap, my face burning up. Not only had this man stolen my life and relatives, he had also stolen my first kiss.  
  
"Hey, you O.K.?"  
  
I glanced up when I felt a hand on my arm. I quickly pulled away and walked to my bed. I flopped down and ignored him, beginning to polish my Naginata again. I had no idea what to do with him. Kippy ran over to Reno and started to chatter rapidly as if he could understand raccoon. Suddenly, I heard a loud voice calling out from outside the tree.  
  
"RENO! RENO! Get you ass out here this instance!"  
  
I tensed up. If any one discovered my home, I would be kicked out of here. My records showed that I had been deceased for 5 years, ever since my family was murdered. Reno started to get up and I frantically grabbed a knife and threw it next to his head to stop him. He hesitated for a moment and that gave me just enough time to draw my Naginata and bring to his throat.  
  
"Don't move."  
  
He visibly gulped and nodded. I trilled with my tongue and Kippy ran over to me. I pointed out the tunnel and whistled. Kippy nodded and ran out the tunnel. I had sent him to check who those intruders were. Loud breathing was heard next to my ear. I glanced at Reno and I noticed that my blade was now touching his neck, nicking the skin a bit. His chest rose heavily from the tense situation. I lifted my blade just a little, enough for him to breath, but not enough for him to escape. For a while, we stood frozen in that position and my arms began to ache. Luckily, Kippy returned before my arm got too tired. He chattered for a few seconds and I concluded that outside my tree was a tall bald man walking with a man with long black hair. "There's two guys outside waiting for you, a tall bald guy and another one with long black hair. Sound familiar?" I said, prodding him with my pole.  
  
"Hey, quit it," he said, slapping the rod away. " Yes, I know them. I'll be going now."  
  
"Not until you promise me that you won't tell anyone about my house."  
  
"Your house?" He looked around in disgust. "This is your house?" he replied, amused.  
  
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" I hissed, my voice heavy with venom.  
  
"No."  
  
"Good, now leave and if anyone finds out about my home, I'll personally find you kill you."  
  
"Yeah, right, like that's possible. I'm a Turk for gods sake."  
  
"Turks aren't that hard to hunt down. You leave a trail of murder everywhere you go."  
  
"Hey, don't go insulting my work."  
  
"Then clean up after yourself. Now get out!"  
  
"Jesus."  
  
Reno turned around and crawled through the tunnel. I sent Kippy just in case he tried anything bad. My arm muscles throbbed from the heavy weight of my Naginata. It was about 20 pounds, which was a little heavier than the average sword that was sold at my father's weapons shop. My father had made my Naginata by hand and given to me 5 years before he died. I was then sent to Wutai to learn the art of Naginata-Jutsu, which was very rare for my age.  
  
A loud twittering caught my attention and I looked up towards the sky while shielding my eyes from the sun. I faintly made out the shadow of a bird before it dropped something from its claws to my feet. It flew off and I picked up the small scroll. Untying the small red ribbon, I unwrapped it and read through the hardly legible scribble.  
  
Dear Tomoko,  
  
It's been a while. I need to talk to you. Meet me at the corner of Oak and Ash in Sector 4. Tomorrow at 5. Don't be late.  
  
~ Simon  
  
I wrapped up the scroll and tied the string again. It was going to be a long trip.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Many people tend to see me as a innocent girl that is quiet and polite. Unfortunately, I an none of those. I am loud, rude, and certainly not innocent. I had done my fair share of killing. Many of those people have paid dearly for underestimating my abilities. Especially young men with too much testosterone for there own good.  
  
"Hey sexy, how 'bouts a night at my place?"  
  
I didn't even bother to answer. At the age of 12, every male that I associated with began to give me weird looks. At first, I thought there was something wrong with them, but when even girls began to talk behind my back, I knew there was something wrong with me, not them.  
  
"They're jealous of you, Tomoko. Your good looks, your personality. It's something you'll get used to." My mother had told me. She had said that I was lucky to be so beautiful. My long straight black hair, my smooth skin, and most of all, my blue eyes. Not many Wutianese have blue eyes, us being from Oriental descent and all.  
  
My memories came to a halt when I felt a hand on my back. My arms tensed and my hand automatically went to my blade.  
  
"It's me," a voice whispered. I recognized it immediately and relaxed. "C'mon."  
  
I turned around to see a cloaked figure disappear into the shadows of a nearby alleyway. I walked in, putting every ounce of trust I had into the figure. He always picked the safest routes to the Haven.  
  
The Haven was a large shelter in the heart of Sector 4. It was refuge for lepers and victims of overexposure to radioactive material or Mako from the reactors. I had begun this Haven 4 years ago when one of my friends fell ill from overexposure to uranium. She died last year and is buried next to my tree. This year, we would be celebrating the 5th year anniversary of the Haven.  
  
"Tomoko, we're here," the figure said. He took off his cloak and my heart stopped. He was about 5 inches taller than me and was equally about 50 pounds heavier than me.  
  
"Simon, it's been a year," I said.  
  
"Yes, it has," he replied.  
  
"I missed you," I whispered. He wrapped his arms around me and I pressed my face to his chest, crying silently.  
  
Simon is my best friend. He is also a leper, which was why I was crying. I didn't know how long he would live. My hand reached up to the back of his neck and felt the rash there. Surprisingly, it was much smaller than before.  
  
"Simon, your rash, it's.it's smaller," I said, shocked.  
  
"I've found a way to counteract the virus."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Mmmm-hmmm."  
  
"Then that means we can help all the other people at the Haven!" I exclaimed. To help all those people. To save them from inevitable death. It was something I dreamed about.  
  
"I'm not sure," he said.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I'm not sure," he repeated. "It's a pretty dangerous procedure."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"First, you must inject a certain amount of Mako to the rash. It might stop the growth or even make it disappear, or it can kill you."  
  
"So, you actually took the chance?" He nodded and I sighed. He knew how much I worried about him, but he still risked his life to help me cure the victims at the Haven.  
  
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to me," he said, patting my hand reassuringly.  
  
"I'm not just worried about your condition, I'm also worried about the source that you acquire Mako from. I know it's not from material, and it's certainly not from the reactors." His face fell and I immediately knew that I was going to burst my top.  
  
"Actually, I.umm.gotitfromareactor," he mumbled, barely understandable.  
  
"WHAT?!" I yelled, probably scaring a few rats away. " Do you know how much danger you are putting yourself in?!"  
  
"I know, but I just want to help you. I want you to achieve your goal."  
  
"No goal is worth losing a friend like you, and I'm certainly not going to risk your life to help me do what I want to do."  
  
"Still, I want to help you."  
  
I shook my head and sighed. He was as reckless as me and more stubborn than a donkey.  
  
"You are hopeless," I said. He laughed and ruffled my hair. I walked into the medical unit of the Haven and found several new patients in the cots. One patient was a man in his mid thirties that was mumbling something that was totally incoherent. I walked towards him and when he saw me, a familiar wild gleam in his eyes flashed and I found my self on the floor with him on top of me, his hands pinning me down. I shoved him with all my strength, but he seemed to weigh a like a ton of bricks. The medical unit was in an uproar. Volunteer nurses were frantically pressing themselves against the wall, as if they were invisible, while other patients were quickly wheeled away. The mad man's gibbering soon turned into a language I could understand. I stayed motionless under him, hoping to calm him without making any sudden movements.  
  
"Hojo.Mako.Hojo..Mako..evil."  
  
"Who's evil? What's evil?"  
  
"Hojo.Mako.Hojo.Mako.EVIL!!! EVIL!!!"  
  
"O.K., calm down, calm down."  
  
"Too much power.hahaha..power.from Mako."  
  
"Power from Mako, I understand. It is evil, right?"  
  
"Yes.yes.EVIL!!!"  
  
At that point, he took his hands off my wrists and put them on his ears, yelling and screaming like it was the end of the world. I put my hands to my ears in an attempt to drown out that horrible screeching. I felt a hot burning on the right side of my chest. The skin there was being melted off my a unknown heat source and I ground my teeth in order to stop myself from screaming. Suddenly, the screaming just all stopped. I opened my eyes and found the man on the floor with a knife in his chest, his eyes open and foam sprouting out of the sides of his mouth. I slowly got up, my ears still ringing from the terrible screaming and felt two strong arms around my waist, pulling my up. I brought a hand up to the top of my right chest and felt a hole in my shirt and under that hole, my skin was burning hot to the touch.  
  
"You O.K.?"  
  
I turned to the face of Simon and smiled weakly.  
  
"I'm fine," and I fainted.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hmmm.weird freaky people that scream about Hojo, lepers being cured by Mako. This is turning out to be a very interesting story, so please REVIEW!!!!! And stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or any of its characters. damn..  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Reno of the Turks.. I was kissed by Reno of the Turks? The murderers of my father? The murderers of my mother? The murderers of my grandparents? Of my brother? My heart began pounding in my chest as my old memories raced through my mind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Grandpa! Where are you? Grandpa!"  
  
"..Tomoko."  
  
"Grandpa! What happened to you? Who did this?"  
  
"..The Turks..the Turks."  
  
"The Turks?"  
  
"Yes.. promise me you'll take care of.of Jintong.."  
  
"I can't Grandpa, he's.he's dead.and so is Mama and Papa."  
  
"..then take care of yourself..Tomoko."  
  
"Grandpa! Grandpa! No.."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I stared at my lap, my face burning up. Not only had this man stolen my life and relatives, he had also stolen my first kiss.  
  
"Hey, you O.K.?"  
  
I glanced up when I felt a hand on my arm. I quickly pulled away and walked to my bed. I flopped down and ignored him, beginning to polish my Naginata again. I had no idea what to do with him. Kippy ran over to Reno and started to chatter rapidly as if he could understand raccoon. Suddenly, I heard a loud voice calling out from outside the tree.  
  
"RENO! RENO! Get you ass out here this instance!"  
  
I tensed up. If any one discovered my home, I would be kicked out of here. My records showed that I had been deceased for 5 years, ever since my family was murdered. Reno started to get up and I frantically grabbed a knife and threw it next to his head to stop him. He hesitated for a moment and that gave me just enough time to draw my Naginata and bring to his throat.  
  
"Don't move."  
  
He visibly gulped and nodded. I trilled with my tongue and Kippy ran over to me. I pointed out the tunnel and whistled. Kippy nodded and ran out the tunnel. I had sent him to check who those intruders were. Loud breathing was heard next to my ear. I glanced at Reno and I noticed that my blade was now touching his neck, nicking the skin a bit. His chest rose heavily from the tense situation. I lifted my blade just a little, enough for him to breath, but not enough for him to escape. For a while, we stood frozen in that position and my arms began to ache. Luckily, Kippy returned before my arm got too tired. He chattered for a few seconds and I concluded that outside my tree was a tall bald man walking with a man with long black hair. "There's two guys outside waiting for you, a tall bald guy and another one with long black hair. Sound familiar?" I said, prodding him with my pole.  
  
"Hey, quit it," he said, slapping the rod away. " Yes, I know them. I'll be going now."  
  
"Not until you promise me that you won't tell anyone about my house."  
  
"Your house?" He looked around in disgust. "This is your house?" he replied, amused.  
  
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" I hissed, my voice heavy with venom.  
  
"No."  
  
"Good, now leave and if anyone finds out about my home, I'll personally find you kill you."  
  
"Yeah, right, like that's possible. I'm a Turk for gods sake."  
  
"Turks aren't that hard to hunt down. You leave a trail of murder everywhere you go."  
  
"Hey, don't go insulting my work."  
  
"Then clean up after yourself. Now get out!"  
  
"Jesus."  
  
Reno turned around and crawled through the tunnel. I sent Kippy just in case he tried anything bad. My arm muscles throbbed from the heavy weight of my Naginata. It was about 20 pounds, which was a little heavier than the average sword that was sold at my father's weapons shop. My father had made my Naginata by hand and given to me 5 years before he died. I was then sent to Wutai to learn the art of Naginata-Jutsu, which was very rare for my age.  
  
A loud twittering caught my attention and I looked up towards the sky while shielding my eyes from the sun. I faintly made out the shadow of a bird before it dropped something from its claws to my feet. It flew off and I picked up the small scroll. Untying the small red ribbon, I unwrapped it and read through the hardly legible scribble.  
  
Dear Tomoko,  
  
It's been a while. I need to talk to you. Meet me at the corner of Oak and Ash in Sector 4. Tomorrow at 5. Don't be late.  
  
~ Simon  
  
I wrapped up the scroll and tied the string again. It was going to be a long trip.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Many people tend to see me as a innocent girl that is quiet and polite. Unfortunately, I an none of those. I am loud, rude, and certainly not innocent. I had done my fair share of killing. Many of those people have paid dearly for underestimating my abilities. Especially young men with too much testosterone for there own good.  
  
"Hey sexy, how 'bouts a night at my place?"  
  
I didn't even bother to answer. At the age of 12, every male that I associated with began to give me weird looks. At first, I thought there was something wrong with them, but when even girls began to talk behind my back, I knew there was something wrong with me, not them.  
  
"They're jealous of you, Tomoko. Your good looks, your personality. It's something you'll get used to." My mother had told me. She had said that I was lucky to be so beautiful. My long straight black hair, my smooth skin, and most of all, my blue eyes. Not many Wutianese have blue eyes, us being from Oriental descent and all.  
  
My memories came to a halt when I felt a hand on my back. My arms tensed and my hand automatically went to my blade.  
  
"It's me," a voice whispered. I recognized it immediately and relaxed. "C'mon."  
  
I turned around to see a cloaked figure disappear into the shadows of a nearby alleyway. I walked in, putting every ounce of trust I had into the figure. He always picked the safest routes to the Haven.  
  
The Haven was a large shelter in the heart of Sector 4. It was refuge for lepers and victims of overexposure to radioactive material or Mako from the reactors. I had begun this Haven 4 years ago when one of my friends fell ill from overexposure to uranium. She died last year and is buried next to my tree. This year, we would be celebrating the 5th year anniversary of the Haven.  
  
"Tomoko, we're here," the figure said. He took off his cloak and my heart stopped. He was about 5 inches taller than me and was equally about 50 pounds heavier than me.  
  
"Simon, it's been a year," I said.  
  
"Yes, it has," he replied.  
  
"I missed you," I whispered. He wrapped his arms around me and I pressed my face to his chest, crying silently.  
  
Simon is my best friend. He is also a leper, which was why I was crying. I didn't know how long he would live. My hand reached up to the back of his neck and felt the rash there. Surprisingly, it was much smaller than before.  
  
"Simon, your rash, it's.it's smaller," I said, shocked.  
  
"I've found a way to counteract the virus."  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
"Mmmm-hmmm."  
  
"Then that means we can help all the other people at the Haven!" I exclaimed. To help all those people. To save them from inevitable death. It was something I dreamed about.  
  
"I'm not sure," he said.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I'm not sure," he repeated. "It's a pretty dangerous procedure."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"First, you must inject a certain amount of Mako to the rash. It might stop the growth or even make it disappear, or it can kill you."  
  
"So, you actually took the chance?" He nodded and I sighed. He knew how much I worried about him, but he still risked his life to help me cure the victims at the Haven.  
  
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to me," he said, patting my hand reassuringly.  
  
"I'm not just worried about your condition, I'm also worried about the source that you acquire Mako from. I know it's not from material, and it's certainly not from the reactors." His face fell and I immediately knew that I was going to burst my top.  
  
"Actually, I.umm.gotitfromareactor," he mumbled, barely understandable.  
  
"WHAT?!" I yelled. " Do you know how much danger you are putting yourself in?!"  
  
"I know, but I just want to help you. I want you to achieve your goal."  
  
"No goal is worth losing a friend like you, and I'm certainly not going to risk your life to help me do what I want to do."  
  
"Still, I want to help you."  
  
I shook my head and sighed. He was as reckless as me and more stubborn than a donkey.  
  
"You are hopeless," I said. He laughed and ruffled my hair. I walked into the medical unit of the Haven and found several new patients in the cots. One patient was a man in his mid thirties that was mumbling something that was totally incoherent. I walked towards him and when he saw me, a familiar wild gleam in his eyes flashed and I found my self on the floor with him on top of me, his hands pinning me down. I shoved him with all my strength, but he seemed to weigh a like a ton of bricks. The medical unit was in an uproar. Volunteer nurses were frantically pressing themselves against the wall, as if they were invisible, while other patients were quickly wheeled away. The mad man's gibbering soon turned into a language I could understand. I stayed motionless under him, hoping to calm him without making any sudden movements.  
  
"Hojo.Mako.Hojo..Mako..evil."  
  
"Who's evil? What's evil?"  
  
"Hojo.Mako.Hojo.Mako.EVIL!!! EVIL!!!"  
  
"O.K., calm down, calm down."  
  
"Too much power.hahaha..power.from Mako."  
  
"Power from Mako, I understand. It is evil, right?"  
  
"Yes.yes.EVIL!!!"  
  
At that point, he took his hands off my wrists and put them on his ears, yelling and screaming like it was the end of the world. I put my hands to my ears in an attempt to drown out that horrible screeching. I felt a hot burning on the right side of my chest. The skin there was being melted off by an unknown heat source and I ground my teeth in order to stop myself from crying out. Suddenly, the screaming just all stopped. I opened my eyes and found the man on the floor with a knife in his chest, his eyes open and foam sprouting out of the sides of his mouth. I slowly got up, my ears still ringing from the terrible screaming and felt two strong arms around my waist, pulling my up. I brought a hand up to the top of my right chest and felt a hole in my shirt and under that hole, my skin was burning hot to the touch.  
  
"You O.K.?"  
  
I turned to the face of Simon and smiled weakly.  
  
"I'm fine," and I fainted.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hmmm.weird freaky people that scream about Hojo, lepers being cured by Mako. This is turning out to be a very interesting story, so please REVIEW!!!!! And stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	4. Chapter 3

"Tomoko.. Tomoko."  
  
"Who.wha?"  
  
"Suki, your destiny will take hold of you."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Your destiny and fate shall be revealed in time. But for now, hold onto what you cherish for you might not have it forever."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am the Mother."  
  
"What mother?"  
  
"The Mother of the World. Gaia. The Planet. The energy of the Lifestream."  
  
"The planet? Are you kidding me?"  
  
"You will find the truth soon. But heed my warning, for you will regret it."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Tomoko, Tomoko. Wake up sweety."  
  
"What?"  
  
I groaned. My head was pounding and a bright light was hurting my eyes. My vision was a blur before my eyes adjusted and I saw Simon.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"At your tree," he answered. He helped me sit up and gave a bottle of water.  
  
"What happened?" I asked. The last thing that I remembered was that patient.  
  
"Well, a patient freaked out and he attacked you."  
  
"I know that part. What happened after?"  
  
"You were exposed to his blood."  
  
"And?"  
  
"His blood was contaminated with Mako."  
  
"So do I have Mako poisoning?"  
  
"We're not sure, but I doubt it."  
  
I sat in silence and touched the spot on my chest. It was still hot to touch, but the pain had subsided.  
  
"Let me see that," Simon said.  
  
"What? No!" I answered, turning red. There certainly would be a scar, but it was on my chest! I wouldn't show that to anyone! Especially not a male.  
  
"Aww, come on. I'm not going to say anything," he whined.  
  
"I said no," I snapped. I got up slowly and walked towards the pond. Cupping my hands, I scooped some water and plastered it over my scar. The water evaporated and I felt a hot searing pain.  
  
"Oww! Shit!"  
  
"I told you to let me see it. You never listen to me."  
  
"Ok, jeez."  
  
I took my hand away from the scar and let Simon examine it. As he daintily touched my scar, I blushed. He took a bandage from his bag and lightly pressed it on my scar.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt here."  
  
I turned at the strangely familiar voice. Standing at the entrance of the tunnel was who else but Reno.  
  
"Reno?! What the hell are you doing here?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to drop by and say hi. Didn't know you were in the middle of something," he said sarcastically.  
  
"I think you have the wrong idea," Simon answered, getting up.  
  
"Oh no, I have exactly the right idea."  
  
"No, we're just friends," Simon said, getting irritated.  
  
"Yeah, and friends check out each other's *cough*?"  
  
"Reno, cut it out. I was hurt that's all. You're not even supposed to be here. I did not give you permission to come here. What if your fellow Turks followed you here?" I said.  
  
"What? He works for the Turks? Tomoko, how many times have I told you not to associate with Shin-Ra?"  
  
"Hey, are you dissing my job?"  
  
"No, I'm.."  
  
"I happen to like my job."  
  
"I'm not.."  
  
"You don't like it? Well, too bad."  
  
"SHUT UP!!" I finally yelled. It was getting so annoying, them two arguing. "Ok. Reno, this is Simon. My FRIEND. Not my boyfriend, not my husband. My FRIEND."  
  
"Well, technically, he's your boy friend, because he's a boy and your.."  
  
"He's a FRIEND. Simon, Reno is a Turk and it wasn't my fault that he's here. He was turned into a frog and all I did was help him. I didn't know he worked for Shin-Ra." "Actually, you kissed me," Reno said.  
  
"You WHAT?!" Simon yelled.  
  
"She kissed me," Reno said again.  
  
"He was a frog and he needed a Maiden's Kiss to cure him," I said quietly. I could tell that Simon was getting pissed at me.  
  
"How many timed do I have to tell you? Men like to take advantage of young girls like you."  
  
"Hey, I wasn't taking advantage of her. I was a FROG, for god's sake!"  
  
"Both of you just please SHUT UP!!!" I yelled. "You're so immature! Reno was just being helped by me and I was being helped by Simon. That's it, case is closed and when did you two become so protective of me? I barely know you Reno and Simon, you know very well that I can take care of myself." I glared at both of them and they began to mumble and stammer. "Now if you'll excuse me, will you both please leave?"  
  
They both walked out, but Simon lingered for a moment before crawling out the tunnel after Reno. I picked up my Naginata and strapped it to my back. I touched the moss and ivy on the tree walls before I crawled out the tunnel with some difficulty. When I was out, I headed straight for the hidden bamboo forest west of my tree. I practiced my Jutsu there every morning when the sun rose, but lately I had neglected to exercise my muscles.  
  
The bamboo in the hidden forest was extremely thick and hard, but my Naginata is still able to cut through it. I walked to my normal training spot, but decided to go to a different part of the forest. Bamboo leaves fluttered around me as I walked through the thick forest. Finally picking the spot I was satisfied with, I unsheathed my blade and began my daily routine. A few slashes here, a few there and I had a circle around me of neatly cut bamboo stalks. Checking my blade for dullness or any damage done to it, I heard applauding behind a bush. Quickly turning around with my weapon out, I saw a Wutainese man with long, straight black hair accompanied with an extremely tall bad man. They were wearing blue suits and a red tie. Shin-Ra.  
  
"I knew Reno had somewhere to go, but I didn't know that following him would lead us to such a valuable addition to the Turks. You are Tomoko, correct? I've heard Reno mention you a few times," the Wutainese man said.  
  
"Yes. What do you want?"  
  
"I have an offer for you," he said.  
  
"What kind of offer?" I asked, suspicious.  
  
"I would like to offer you a seat in the Turks," he replied.  
  
"What? Are you crazy?!" I said.  
  
"Is it the danger of the job? The salary?"  
  
"No, no."  
  
"If it's the danger, it's obvious that with your skills, you have nothing to be afraid of. If it's the salary, don't worry, you'll get about 100,000 gil a month plus an extra 20,000 for other odd jobs that you do for other companies besides Shin-Ra."  
  
I squeaked at all the money. My father would probably work for 3 years before he actually earned 100,00 gil. The extra income would be good for the Haven, but I wasn't sure if Simon would agree to me taking this job. But, it was better to not lose the chance and quit later.  
  
"Fine, I'll take the job. Under one condition."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Every last Saturday and Sunday of the month, I must return here to tend to some business and I won't be wearing your uniforms. I'll be wearing my own clothes."  
  
"Yes, of course. We'll fly you back to Shin-Ra HQ and you'll receive your contract there. Follow me."  
  
He walked back through out the bamboo forest and into a clearing where a large helicopter was. In the helicopter was Reno.  
  
"Hey, Tseng, what took you so long? Too much to drink before we came here?" He caught sight of me and choked on the cookie he was eating. "What.Why is she here?"  
  
"I've hired her into the Turks."  
  
Reno's mouth opened and closed for a few seconds like a fish before finally speaking.  
  
"So, that's it. No test? You just here and you hire her?"  
  
"No, she passed her test just before," Tseng answered.  
  
"But, you were taking a piss," Reno said. Tseng sighed and shook his head. He climbed into the helicopter and motioned for the bald guy and me to follow. I climbed in and took a seat next to Reno and Tseng. The helicopter took flight and I breathed deeply, this was the first time that I had been in the air. The helicopter flew off into the night and I slowly fell asleep on the leather seats.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: WOO-HOO!! Tests are finally over! I finally have time to write. Tomoko has become a Turk. What's in store for her? Review this chapter and I just might write the next one quicker!  
  
Disclaimer: Ooo.just in case Squaresoft sees I don't have one and decides to sue me. I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. 


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